Bottle holder



Oct 1 1960 M. A. ROBICHAUD 2,956,687

BOTTLE HOLDER Filed NOV. 19, 1958 INVENTOR. Mabel A. Robz'chaud A 7'TORNEYS.

United States Patent BOTTLE HOLDER Mabel AiRobichaud, 3833 Myrtle,Kansas City 28, Mo.

Filed Nov. 19, 1958, Ser. No. 775,040

2 Claims. (Cl. 211-74) This invention relates to bottle holders, andmore particularly to a receptacle structure for receiving and supportingbottles in an upright position.

Ordinary experience with bottles containing various liquids such as hairdressings, lotions and other materials wherein the hands are used inapplying same shows that it is common practice to open the bottle, poursome of the liquid into one hand or on an applicator held by one hand,and then to set the bottle on a flat surface while the hands areemployed making the application of the liquid. The presence of the openbottle on the flat supporting surface such as a counter or the likepresents a continuingrisk of an accident wherein the bottle will betipped over, slip or otherwise cause the contents to be spilled.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a novelmeans for holding bottles and similar containers of liquids in a stableupright position wherein the holder automatically adjusts itself tobottles of various shapes and sizes; to provide a receptacle having anopen top for receiving bottles of various shapes and sizes withresilient members in the receptacle for applying a strictural frictionalgrip thereto; to provide such a receptacle with a frictional surface forengaging the bottom of the bottles and a plurality of flexible fingersfor frictionally engaging the sides of the bottles in spaced relation tothe bottom thereof to support the bottles in an upright position; and toprovide a receptacle for receiving bottles of various sizes withflexible members automatically adjusting to bottles of various shapesand sizes in which bottles are easily and rapidly inserted and removedand which is economical to manufacture and efiicient in use.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein are set forth by way of illustration and examplecertain ernbodiments of this invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle holder embodying the featuresof the present invention with a bottle positioned therein.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the bottleholder.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the bottle holder takenon the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through a modified form of bottleholder with a bottle positioned therein taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of bottle holder.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 generally designates a bottle holder whichconsists of a receptacle 2 with an opening 3 into which various sizebottles 4 may be inserted with resilient members 5 in the receptacle andautomatically adjustable to bottles of various sizes to apply astrictural frictional grip thereto.

In the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the receptaclehas a bottom wall 6 with connected opposed end walls 7 and 8 and sidewalls 9 and 10 extending upwardly therefrom and preferably defining 'asubstantially rectangular structure. The side walls 9 and 10 eachterminate at their upper edges in inwardly extending flanges 11 and 12respectively that terminate in inner edges 13 which cooperate with theend walls 7 and 8 in defining the top opening 3 of the receptacle. Wallsor flanges 14 and 15 extend inwardly in the receptacle from the sidewalls 9 and 10 in downwardly spaced. relation to the flanges 11 and 12and terminate in inner edges 16 substantially in vertical alignmentwiththe inner edges 13 of said flanges whereby the flanges 11 and 14 andthe side wall 9 therebetween and the flanges 12 and 15 and side wall 10therebetween define longitudinal recesses 17 for receiving portions ofresilient members 5 that extend inwardly therefrom for engaging bottlesplaced in the receptacle. 1

The resilient members 5 each preferably consist of strips of resilientmaterial such as sponge rubber or foamed synthetic resin of a lengthcorresponding to the spacing between the end walls 7 and 8 and of awidth substantially one-half the spacing between the walls 9 and 10. Theresilient strips have their inner edges 18 substantially at thelongitudinal center of the receptacle, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and areprovided witha plurality of transverse slits 19 extending from saidinner edges 18 to slightly beyond the inner edges 13and 16 of the upperand lower flanges 11,12, 14 and 15, to define a plurality of fingers 20;The upper flanges Hand 12 are provided with downwardly extending teethor lugs 21 and the lower flanges 14 and 15 are provided with upwardly 2extending teeth or lugs 22 spaced along the flanges to extend into theslits 19 adjacent the outer ends 23 thereof to aid in gripping andholding the resilient members in the receptacle. The inner portions ofeach of the fingers 20 have a bottom surface curved downwardly andoutwardly as at 24 from the inner edges 18 to a point approximatelymid-way the length of the slits 19 where the fingers are approximatelyhalf the thickness of the spac ing between the upper and lower flanges,and then the fingers are curved downwardly and outwardly as at 25 to theinner edges of the lower flanges 14 and 15, as illustrated in Fig. 2.The shape of the fingers facilitates the downward bending thereof on theinsertion of a bottle to not only allow for various sizes of bottles,but also to add to the engagement of the fingers with the bottles andthe frictional grip to support same. The fingers 20 also are preferablyof slightly reduced width at the inner portions to facilitate lateralmovement of the fingers as when accommodating round bottles and thelike.

A resilient strip or cushion member such as sponge rubber or foamedsynthetic resin 26 is adhered to the inner surface of the bottom wall 6to provide a cushion for a bottle that is dropped in the receptacle, andalso to provide a frictional engagement therewith to aid in holding thebottle upright. It is preferable that a resilient sheet or strip 27 ofsponge rubber or foamed synthetic resin be suitably secured to thebottom surface of the bottom wall 6 to form a non-skid surface forholding the receptacle on a surface such as a counter when placedthereon.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive,horizontal flanges or extensions 28 and 29 extend from the end walls 7and 8 respectively, the extension member 28 having a plurality ofopenings 30 therein whereby it will form a toothbrush holder and theextension 29 having an aperture 31 therein for receiving a glass or thelike when desired. The side wall 10 has a bracket member 32 suitablysecured thereto consisting of a plate 33 turned upon itself at the upperand lower edges to form ways 34 and 35 extending longitudinally of thereceptacle and adapted to be sleeved over flanges 36 of a bracket member37 adapted to be secured to a suitable wall for supporting thereceptacle, the ways being such that the receptacle can be movedlongitudinally to disengage the member 33 from the bracket member 37 forremoving the receptacle from the wall mounting. The receptacle may be ofany suitable material, but preferably is of a suitable synthetic resinor the like whereby it can be easily cleaned and be maintained in aneat, sanitary condition.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, thereceptacle 38 is the same as the receptacle 2 except it does not havethe extensions 28 and 29 nor the bracket 35, it being arranged wherebyit is supported on the nonskid member 27 which is adapted to rest on asurface of a counter or the like. Also, the structure as illustrated inFigs. 4 and 5 is depicted with a round bottle in the receptacle andparticularly shows the position the fingers 20 will adopt when engagedwith such a bottle, and it is to be noted that the fingers not only turndownwardly to engage the side of the bottle but also move laterally, asillustrated in Fig. 5. I

It is believed obvious that the flexible fingers of resilient materialarranged as illustrated and described provide eflicient, durablebottle-gripping members having a wide range of automatic adaptabilityand that due to their resilient characteristics may be compressed andremoved from the recesses 17 for cleaning or replacement.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and describedcertain forms of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specificforms or arrangements of parts herein described and shown except insofaras such limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bottle holder comprising, a receptacle having a bottom wall andupwardly extending opposed side and end walls, vertically spaced pairsof flanges on each opposed side wall and extending inwardly therefrom inupwardly spaced relation to the bottom wall, said flanges having inneredges which with the end walls define an opening in the receptacle ofgreater size than the base of a bottle adapted to be received therein,resilient members positioned between said pairs of flanges and havingportions extending therefrom defining a plurality of fingers spaced fromthe bottom wall and bendable downwardly for resiliently and frictionallyengaging a bottle adapted to be received in the receptacle, and aresilient cushion member in the receptacle on the bottom wall forengagement by bottles adapted to be received in the receptacle forcooperation with said plurality of fingers in supporting said bottles.

2. A bottle holder comprising, a receptacle having a bottom wall andupwardly extending opposed side and end Walls, vertically spaced pairsof flanges on each opposed side wall and extending inwardly therefrom inupwardly spaced relation to the bottom wall, said flanges having inneredges which with the end walls define an opening in the receptacle ofgreater size than the base of a bottle adapted to be received therein,resilient members positioned between said pairs of flanges and havingportions extending inwardly therefrom and defining a plurality offingers spaced above the bottom wall and bendable downwardly forresiliently and frictionally engaging a bottle adapted to be received inthe receptacle, means on said vertically spaced flanges extending intothe resilient members to retain said members therebetween, a bracket onone side wall for mounting the receptacle on a support, andarticle-supporting members on and extending outwardly from the endwalls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS809,854 Sochurek Jan. 9, 1906 1,759,390 Brandt May 20, 1930 1,945,797Bach Feb. 6, 1934 2,003,134 Bowman May 28, 1935 2,019,860 James Nov. 5,1935 2,197,326 Streyle Apr. 16, 1940 2,568,147 Fulton Sept. 18, 19512,633,248 Goldenberg Mar. 31, 1953 2,723,037 Matesic Nov. 8, 19552,860,768 Smithers Nov. 18, 1958

